Lucy Glister - Principal
Lucy started her training at The Thanet Stage School of dance and Drama and then continued her professional training at London Studio Centre. She graduated with honours in Musical theatre and associate membership of the British Ballet organization. She has worked as a professional vocalist and dancer for 21 years in West End productions and internationally in a variety of Stage Shows, television programs and on major cruise liners.
Lucy has produced and choreographed professional shows for a number of well known hotel chains around the world, including the Hilton and Grecotel. She also created and produced the award winning Ibiza Marquee Mardi Gras show and all productions for Airtours Cruise Ships and Thompson holidays.
After moving to Spain, Lucy started teaching for Valerie Jean Bale at The Valerie Jean school of dance, adding musical theatre with examinations with LAMDA to the timetable and growing the school for the next 10 years. On Valerie's retirement, Lucy opened Star Studios and continued the success of the school in the new premises.
Lucy has been the mastermind for Spotlight productions, creating a professional show production company, giving young performers a chance to perform on The Benidorm Palace Stage. Spotlight Productions, now in it's 5th year, is delighted to be offering this wonderful opportunity internationally as well as at home in Spain. www.spotlightproductionsspain.com ......
Michael Watson - Musical Theater / Voice Coach and singing Tutor
Michael Watson is best known for playing Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys in the West End and On tour.. Where he won many awards for his portrail of the legendary singer
Michael Watson is a home-grown Essex boy. He grew up in Clacton-on-Sea and began his theatre training there as a student of the Tiffany Stage Academy. He tirelessly worked towards his dream of performing on stage professionally, and at just sixteen years old, he won a scholarship to the Tiffany Theatre College in Southend. He graduated from the school’s Musical Theatre course in 2006.
After two years of training, Watson took his first steps into the professional world of stage performance and immediately made great strides by securing a role in We Will Rock You and simultaneously making his West End debut. He spent the next two years at the Dominion Theatre performing in the show’s ensemble before moving on and achieving another goal: being part of a show’s original London cast. He joined the company of new musical Imagine This at the New London Theatre, once again as an ensemble member but also as 1st cover to the role of Billy. He features on the musical’s original cast recording.
Watson’s West End theatre credits continued to rack up in 2009 as he went on to appear in another original London cast, this time in Broadway transfer Sister Act. He performed in the ensemble on his biggest stage yet, the London Palladium, appearing alongside the show’s star Patina Miller and once again featuring on the cast recording. As his experience grew, so did his opportunities, and he once again found himself as 1st cover; this time understudying the roles of TJ and Dinero. He ended the year with that classic British tradition that few stage performers can resist: pantomime. He played the title role in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Radlett Theatre, completing the rite of passage that most performers go through.
His time in the panto proved to be something of a good omen. He found himself back in the West End in the original London cast of his third musical and in somewhat familiar territory in his ensemble role of Jack and the Beanstalk. He appeared on stage with the likes of Nigel Lindsay, Amanda Holden, Richard Blackwood and Nigel Harman, and sometimes in the more prominent role of Pinocchio, for which he was 1st cover.
Watson left the show in 2012 and was involved in a number of projects throughout the year. He travelled to the Deutsches Theatre, Munich in the cast of Hair The Musical as a Tribe member and 1st cover to Woof. He also shared a stage with Su Pollard as Rooster in the international tour of Annie and played Billy the DJ in the tour of musical Disco Inferno. In addition to this, he also appeared in the Chess Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall with Kerry Ellis and Idina Menzel, played Woof in the charity gala performance of Hair The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre for Help For Heroes and was involved in the work-shops for Ghost The Musical, In Touch and All or Nothing.
Abby Hopkins BA (hons) Theatre Dance
Abby started her professional training at Urdang Academy in London's Covent Garden in 1997, she later trained at London Studio Center starting her BA in Theatre Dance in 1999.
Here she started her training in Pilates at the Body Control Studios. Abby embarked on her career as a professional dancer on completing her degree and has worked on cruise ships and theatres in London, New York, Northern Italy and closer to home at Benidorm Palace.
In 2010, Abby furthered her Pilates education in Valencia and became a member of ANEP, Spain's national association of Pilates trainers. As a pilates instructor, Abby has worked at Renaissance retreats, Nicole Stone's Yoga retreats, various Dance Academy's in Denia including Pas de Quatre and Babylon as well privalty for individual clients.
Abby is excited to teach both Pilates, Barre and Classical ballet for adults at Star Studios. Her mission is to help people feel wonderful through pilates and dance: 'I would like to create a safe and friendly environment at Star Studios for people of All ages and experience to gain physical fitness while enjoying the process through dance and pilates'.